percious
Well-known member
On Saturday I headed out for what may be regrettably the last technical rock climb of the year. What a great day it was.
A co-worker from the Y (Chip) and I settled on Ragged mountain and a few more hours of sleep after debating whether or not to head to the gunks for the day. We arrived at the cliff in the cold morning shade, and I set up a customary classic, Broadway on TR for a later ascent. Chip is a solid 5.7 climber who is just getting into the 8s, or so I thought. (Broadway is a 5.8) Chip did his first solo-rappel and asked for a customary pirate joke on the way down to ease his nerves. He managed the 100 foot self-belay no problem.
We were at the bottom. I decided to go for a new(to me) lead line by the name of "wet-lock" which follows an early crux up a thin (and dirty) crack to a large ledge and a run-out top section. No problems up to the first section. The "wet wall" was unusually dry. I had brought my camalot #6 for the top chimney, but alas, the chimney was too wide for the 6, and too small to crawl into. A chopped bolt curtousy of one of CTs notorious climbers left me with a considerably conundrum. My options were:
A) Downclimb (ick).
B) Traverse unprotected over relatively easy terrain to the top of the "scull and bones" block. Um, Scull and Nones+ opportunity for whipper into a left facing wall? (No.)
C) Run out the 5.6 "double arret" to the top. (well, There is no option D).
I tried the first few moves and found they could be reversed so I went further. Next few moves, heart racing, looking down at a 20+ foot fall! OK. Almost there. Jug here, foot there Phew! I'm at the top. Oh, and look a beautiful place for my boat anchor, err, I mean Camalot #6. Anchor set. Chip does a beautiful job of cleaning my route. We walk off around the cliff.
I fired off Broadway, which is no give-away at 5.8, but a breeze none-the less. While chip is hammering it out, a kind gentleman walks by and we strike up a conversation. He asks about my double-bowline anchors and offers me some advice about setting a TR. About 1/2 way through his explanation of a friction anchor I explain how I am a TRSM. (Chip is still climbing, almost at the crux next to the block). Turns out the kind man is none-other than Bob Clark, who is locally famous in the climbing circle, and also a guide. I ask him to point out an easy 5.7 or a 5.6 for us to give a run up. He proceeds to give me an awesome tour of the cliff, pointing out a bunch of routes that I had never tried before. We settle on a run up one of the northern routes, at the top of one of the broken blocks. Bob shows us an easy way to the top. He says the route is 5.7, with an early crux.
I place my first piece and move up. The climb is a nice hand-sized crack with a bouldery start. There is a small suspended block about 1/2 way up which is a tad overhanging. I work around it, placing a pumpy but solid cam. Took me two tries to get the size, because I usually don't place cams that big. I move up finishing out the route with a series of pleasant hand-jams. Felt pretty hard for a 5.7. Chip cleans the route beautifully for the second time, struggling a tad on the pumpy cam before finishing out the route. We coil the rope, move Broadway over to YMC (5.9) and walk around.
Back at the bottom of the cliff I chat with some other climbers while checking the guidebook. "Deception" was the name of our climb and it was rated at 5.8. So I onsighted my first 5.8 lead, and Chip Redpoint/seconded his first 5.8, all without knowing it! Deception! Thanks Bob, because now much more of the cliff is open for leading!
I made a run at YMC on TR, which was fairly straight forward. I took a bunch of time at the crux looking at the opportunities for protection. Satisfied, I pulled the final hard two moves and found myself on the top of the block with some numb hands, satisfied. Chip lowered me down.
At the bottom we decided what to do next. Chip didn't feel like hoping on YMC since it was hard and he was feeling beat after "Deception" We settled on a 5.4 named "ancient way." The first placement was high, and the rock was making a weird noise. I thought there might be a snake around, but it sounded like things sound like when they are under pressure. It was pretty creepy anyway, so I moved up. The moves were awkward, and it was really hard for a 5.4. I placed about 5 pieces over the 50 foot cliff, so it couldn't have been that hard, I was just getting tired, and losing some depth perception in the waning sunlight. Up on top I set up for belay slinging a suspect block and placing pro in a few cracks. Chip followed up past the singing rock which he found creepy as well. He said it was weird climbing, and I felt the same. Perhaps the Ancients were telling us something.
Since Chip was tied into the middle of the rope, and my pack lay solitary but connected to the end of the rope, I gave her a good old heave-ho, only to find the rope had jammed in the crack. I quckly set my cinch for autobelay, rand down to the creepy section and unjammed the knot of jumbled rope. I quickly climbed up and hauled up my pack. The sun set on a great day, and we hurried to clean everything up before hiking out under moonlight. What a great way to end the season.
-percious
A co-worker from the Y (Chip) and I settled on Ragged mountain and a few more hours of sleep after debating whether or not to head to the gunks for the day. We arrived at the cliff in the cold morning shade, and I set up a customary classic, Broadway on TR for a later ascent. Chip is a solid 5.7 climber who is just getting into the 8s, or so I thought. (Broadway is a 5.8) Chip did his first solo-rappel and asked for a customary pirate joke on the way down to ease his nerves. He managed the 100 foot self-belay no problem.
We were at the bottom. I decided to go for a new(to me) lead line by the name of "wet-lock" which follows an early crux up a thin (and dirty) crack to a large ledge and a run-out top section. No problems up to the first section. The "wet wall" was unusually dry. I had brought my camalot #6 for the top chimney, but alas, the chimney was too wide for the 6, and too small to crawl into. A chopped bolt curtousy of one of CTs notorious climbers left me with a considerably conundrum. My options were:
A) Downclimb (ick).
B) Traverse unprotected over relatively easy terrain to the top of the "scull and bones" block. Um, Scull and Nones+ opportunity for whipper into a left facing wall? (No.)
C) Run out the 5.6 "double arret" to the top. (well, There is no option D).
I tried the first few moves and found they could be reversed so I went further. Next few moves, heart racing, looking down at a 20+ foot fall! OK. Almost there. Jug here, foot there Phew! I'm at the top. Oh, and look a beautiful place for my boat anchor, err, I mean Camalot #6. Anchor set. Chip does a beautiful job of cleaning my route. We walk off around the cliff.
I fired off Broadway, which is no give-away at 5.8, but a breeze none-the less. While chip is hammering it out, a kind gentleman walks by and we strike up a conversation. He asks about my double-bowline anchors and offers me some advice about setting a TR. About 1/2 way through his explanation of a friction anchor I explain how I am a TRSM. (Chip is still climbing, almost at the crux next to the block). Turns out the kind man is none-other than Bob Clark, who is locally famous in the climbing circle, and also a guide. I ask him to point out an easy 5.7 or a 5.6 for us to give a run up. He proceeds to give me an awesome tour of the cliff, pointing out a bunch of routes that I had never tried before. We settle on a run up one of the northern routes, at the top of one of the broken blocks. Bob shows us an easy way to the top. He says the route is 5.7, with an early crux.
I place my first piece and move up. The climb is a nice hand-sized crack with a bouldery start. There is a small suspended block about 1/2 way up which is a tad overhanging. I work around it, placing a pumpy but solid cam. Took me two tries to get the size, because I usually don't place cams that big. I move up finishing out the route with a series of pleasant hand-jams. Felt pretty hard for a 5.7. Chip cleans the route beautifully for the second time, struggling a tad on the pumpy cam before finishing out the route. We coil the rope, move Broadway over to YMC (5.9) and walk around.
Back at the bottom of the cliff I chat with some other climbers while checking the guidebook. "Deception" was the name of our climb and it was rated at 5.8. So I onsighted my first 5.8 lead, and Chip Redpoint/seconded his first 5.8, all without knowing it! Deception! Thanks Bob, because now much more of the cliff is open for leading!
I made a run at YMC on TR, which was fairly straight forward. I took a bunch of time at the crux looking at the opportunities for protection. Satisfied, I pulled the final hard two moves and found myself on the top of the block with some numb hands, satisfied. Chip lowered me down.
At the bottom we decided what to do next. Chip didn't feel like hoping on YMC since it was hard and he was feeling beat after "Deception" We settled on a 5.4 named "ancient way." The first placement was high, and the rock was making a weird noise. I thought there might be a snake around, but it sounded like things sound like when they are under pressure. It was pretty creepy anyway, so I moved up. The moves were awkward, and it was really hard for a 5.4. I placed about 5 pieces over the 50 foot cliff, so it couldn't have been that hard, I was just getting tired, and losing some depth perception in the waning sunlight. Up on top I set up for belay slinging a suspect block and placing pro in a few cracks. Chip followed up past the singing rock which he found creepy as well. He said it was weird climbing, and I felt the same. Perhaps the Ancients were telling us something.
Since Chip was tied into the middle of the rope, and my pack lay solitary but connected to the end of the rope, I gave her a good old heave-ho, only to find the rope had jammed in the crack. I quckly set my cinch for autobelay, rand down to the creepy section and unjammed the knot of jumbled rope. I quickly climbed up and hauled up my pack. The sun set on a great day, and we hurried to clean everything up before hiking out under moonlight. What a great way to end the season.
-percious
